Top Week 1 Matchups in the OK Conference

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We are under 10 days away from opening kickoff! Being this close to the season makes me incredibly joyful, and I think we've all missed Friday Night Lights. This article will speak on the top matchups in West Michigan's premiere conference! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Must-See Matchups</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>(</em>M<em>atchups being played IN the area of the OK Conference)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Thursday, August 24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Unity Christian @ Whitehall</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a matchup that I've heard zero buzz about! Many West Michigan Football Fans know that Unity Christian is a routine state championship contender. Though, they fielded a very young team last season and are looking to return to state-championship form. As for Whitehall, they are coming off a phenomenal 2022 season, having gone 11-1, with their only loss being against Champion South Christian. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For UC, I'm looking forward to seeing what [player_tooltip player_id='602178' first='Jake' last='Chapman'] is able to do after a full offseason of work. [player_tooltip player_id='602179' first='Nolan' last='Vis'] should be a huge part of their offense, and Isaiah Meyers has a chance to make a name for himself as a two-way player. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whitehall is going to be an interesting team to watch this season, and I hope they can have another uber-successful season after their 2023 graduating class. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1122616' first='Kyle' last='Stratton'] should be extremely fun to watch this season, as well as his big offensive tackle Connor Nash. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cedar Springs @ East Grand Rapids</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm super interested to see how this one turns out. Last season, Cedar Springs had an unfortunate season. They kicked it off. by playing toe-to-toe with River Rouge, and they looked great. Down the stretch, they couldn't find a way to win games. EGR also had a bumpy season though I'm confident they've improved a ton this offseason, plus they brought in some young studs. Cedar Springs is the favorite here, but EGR should play them tough! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm looking forward to seeing how [player_tooltip player_id='253232' first='Scotty' last='Millman'] performs. The big men [player_tooltip player_id='862148' first='Jacob' last='Krause'], George Bernecker, [player_tooltip player_id='899524' first='Jacob' last='Tietema'], and [player_tooltip player_id='899505' first='Will' last='Kowalewski'] will also turn heads this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I am not too well-informed on Cedar Springs football, though C Marquise Mance and QB/RB Tayson Doncis look go be playmakers for this team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>GR Catholic Central vs. Loyola Academy (IL)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a game I'll end up streaming on NFHS network at a later date, or there's a small chance I attend. Wow! If you don't already know, Loyola Academy is an absolute powerhouse. Loyola also has nearly 4x's GRCC's population, with Loyola having 2070 students compared to GRCC's 584. Even though Loyola should have the upper hand, GRCC has countless college-level stars and one of the best offenses in Michigan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This will be an incredible test for guys like [player_tooltip player_id='188030' first='Connor' last='Wolf'], [player_tooltip player_id='533709' first='Kellen' last='Russell-Dixon'], and the entire offensive line. This will also give the receiving weapons high-quality game reps against an elite opponent. I'd highly recommend this game if you want to see college talent! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Grand Ledge @ West Ottawa</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This should be a super competitive game! Last season, Grand Ledge surprised a lot of people, going 9-3 on the season while knocking Brighton and Holt out of the playoffs. West Ottawa looked much improved compared to years past. They went 4-5 with a grueling schedule, and WO could be a good playoff team! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grand Ledge had a great 2023 class, and I wish I knew more about their current players. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Ottawa has a ton of intriguing players. I got to watch this team at Hope's 7v7 tournament, and QB [player_tooltip player_id='1290558' first='Connor' last='Knapp'] really stood out. They also have a lot of great players in the secondary. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Friday, August 25</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rockford @ Muskegon</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I shouldn't have to hype this one up at all. Two of West Michigan's best squaring off at an incredible venue. This season, Muskegon looks to be the top challenger for De La Salle in Division 2, while Rockford is a dark horse Championship contender in D1. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1122536' first='Drake' last='Irwin'] will make his debut start at QB for the Rams, and we'll see plenty of weapons take the field for those Rams. I'm incredibly interested to see how [player_tooltip player_id='899577' first='Zane' last='Panchula'] does, as he has some D1 offers but not much film. He'll have his work cut out for him against the best offensive line in Michigan. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Muskegon is returning the majority of their difference-makers from last season. [player_tooltip player_id='253307' first='Miguel' last='Botello'], [player_tooltip player_id='253306' first='Karl' last='Brooks'], and [player_tooltip player_id='602233' first='N-Kye' last='Wynn'] lead the elite O-Line, while M'Khi Guy, [player_tooltip player_id='253303' first='Destin' last='Piggee'], and [player_tooltip player_id='241282' first='Jake' last='Price'] serve as a lethal big 3 in the backfield. [player_tooltip player_id='740721' first='Stanley' last='Cunningham'] was a phenomenal DE last season, and he's set to start at TE this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Caledonia vs. Romeo</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm so incredibly excited about this matchup! Caledonia shocked the world with a State Championship appearance last season, while Romeo posted an impressive 8-3 record, and they consistently sport one of the best defenses in Michigan. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='551056' first='Brody' last='Betser'] will take his first snaps at Caledonia's starting QB, and it's going to come against an extremely tough D. I'm looking forward to seeing how Brody performs, as well as other offensive pieces like [player_tooltip player_id='667472' first='Brock' last='Townsend']. On the defense, I'm anticipating a big season from [player_tooltip player_id='430963' first='Jaxson' last='Engelberg'] as well as [player_tooltip player_id='407312' first='Derek' last='Pennington Jr.'] </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As for Romeo- [player_tooltip player_id='248788' first='Ryan' last='Relyea'], [player_tooltip player_id='248789' first='Victor' last='Earl'], and [player_tooltip player_id='568235' first='Owen' last='Youngblood'] are the top 3 stars for this defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Other Matchups</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Holland @ Holland Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These two programs are far from their peak, but this is still a super fun rivalry. Holland Christian are the extremely heavy favorite in this one, but if you're near Holland, consider checking this one out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>GR Ottawa Hills @ GR Union</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a matchup where Union will be very heavily favored, but still a great city rivalry nonetheless. Union defeated Ottawa Hills 59-12 last season. Though, Union only won by 1 point in 2021 by a score of 35-34. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Union, I'm extremely excited to potentially see Star Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='572246' first='Grayson' last='Fellows'] take the field. I'm also looking forward to seeing just how good [player_tooltip player_id='422578' first='Jesse' last='Phillips'] and [player_tooltip player_id='329551' first='Syncere' last='Hobson'] are going to be this season! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hudsonville vs. Howell</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Byron Center vs. Battle Creek Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Oakridge vs. Sparta</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->